Thread by @BobinsAbraham

Wild elephants raiding rice filelds for food is common, but this particular #elephant has been raiding ration shops and houses in search of rice!
In one-and-a-half years, the rogue elephant called 'Ari Komban' (rice tusker) has raided this ration shop 6-7 times in search of rice.

Arikomban has been a regular presence in and around Anayirankal Dam near #Munnar and has killed at least 10 people.
#Kerala
#HumanAnimalConflict
#WildElephant

Arikomban strikes again...
Raids the ration shop in Panniar for the fourt time in ten days in search of rice.
#Munnar
#elephant

Preparations completed for the capture of Ari Komban in #Munnar.
On Thursdaysday morning, for the first time, it attacked a truck carrying food grains in search of rice.

Vikram, one of the Kumki #elephants for capturing Ari Komban will reach Chinnakanal tonight
There is a bit of irony here as this Kumki was once the most notorious rogue #elephant in #Kerala
Originally called Vadakkanad Komban, he terrorised Wayanad and was captured in March 2019.

Photo form 11 March 2019, when Vadakanadu Komban was captured by the Forest Department.

#BreakingNews
In a special late-night hearing the #Kerala High Court has ordered the suspension of the operation to capture #Arikomban till March 29.
HC said capturing the #Elephant was the last resort and want Forest Department to explore other options before it.

While there is still uncertainty on his capture, Arikomban was photographed taking a nap among the tea plants in an estate in Chinnakanal.
This could be one of his last such naps as a free animal.
#wilelephant #KeralaElephant #Arikomban

Meanwhile, these are the four kumki #elephants that are in Chinnakanal to capture Arikomban.
They are currently killing time as Kerala High Court has ordered that Arikomban should not be captured until Wednesday, March 29.

It is D-day for Arikomban
Today Kerala High Court will decide on the future of this #Elephant: should the problem tusker be captured, or remain in the wild with tracking it's movement.
Given the last minute intervention and observations by HC, the elephant might get a 2nd chance.

No surprises from the Kerala High Court.
The HC has ordered that Arikil ban should be radio collared and released back into the wild.
Relocation of the #Elephant can be done, if needed, after the report by the expert committee.

Another observation that the HC has made is about the tribal settlement inside the forest. The court has said that relocating the settlement should be looked into.
This is going to make the already volatile situation on the ground even worse.
#Arikomban
#humananimalconflict

What people from both sides of the argument haven't realised yet or is conveniently ignoring is the fact that #Arikomban is just a part of the problem and not THE PROBLEM.
There are at least 4 more problematic #elephants in the area.
Chakkakomban
Murivalan
Mottavalan
Padayappa

As expected, there is much anger among locals. Most parts of Idukki district (Highrange) to observe #hartal on March 30 over the HC order on #Arikomban.

There is already a highly popular #conspiracytheory that the increase in #wildlife sighting in human areas is result of govt discreetly releasing them there at night to scare people and make them leave their homes.
Such court orders will further strengthen this belief.

Now #Arikomban pays a visit to the kumki elephants brought to capture him.
The rogue elephant was chased away by the mahouts of the kumki #elephants.
In this video Arikomban can be seen dangerously close to Konni Surendran, one of the kumki elephants.
#Kerala #HumanAnimalConflict

While the focus was entirely on #Arikomban, guess who showed up?
Padayappa waylaid a KSRTC bus in #Munnar, briefly.
This is why I continue to argue that capturing Arikomban is not going to solve the #elephant problem in Idukki.
#HumanAnimalConflict

The Kerala High Court-appointed expert committee has recommend the capture and relocation of #Arikomban to Parambikulam, fitted with a radio collar, where it is unlikely to cause a #HumanAnimalConflict

#BreakingNews
Kerala High Court accepts the recommendation of the expert committee.
Orders that #Arikomban should be tranquilized, captured, radio collared and relocated to Parambikulam in Palakkad.

As Kerala Forest Department delays the operation to capture #Arikomban, the elephant 🐘 strikes again.
Yet another house in 301 colony damaged by Arikomban today.

Kerala High Court rejects review petition filed by Nemmara MLA K Babu, against it's order to relocate #Arikomban to Parambikulam.
HC, however, gave the Kerala government one week time to suggest any other natural habitats it wants to relocate the #elephant to.

Forget capturing #Arikomban, the Kerala Forest Department is now struggling to keep the four kumki elephants 🐘 brought to capture the problem tusker, safe.
With mission arikomban getting delayed indefinitely, the four kumkis have been stationed at the site for nearly a month.

A herd of elephants including arikomban have been stationed close to the kumki elephant camp.
They are also being disturbed by tourists visiting elephant camp, which has now forced authorities to shift them to a new location.

Meanwhile, the Kerala Government has practically ran out of legal options on the capture of #Arikomban as Supreme Court rejects the govt's appeal against Kerala HC order that said the #elephant should not be held in captivity, but should be captured and relocated.

Mission #Arikomban is still in limbo and another wild #elephant 🐘 part of the same herd has damaged a house in 301 colony in Chinnakanal, which was regularly raided by Arikomban.
It is believed that this is Chakkakomban, a jackfruit-loving tusker.

Friday will be the most crucial day for Mission Arikomban as forest department will move to tranquilize the #elephant.
Arikomban has been located near Anayirankal Dam with its herd.
After tranquilizing #Arikomban will be moved to an undisclosed location to avoid further protests.

Arikomban managed to evade capture for one more day.
Mission called off for the day as the forest department couldn't locate the elephant.

Day two: #Arikomban located at Shankara Pandian Mettu. Efforts on the bring it down to 301 colony.
#Kerala
#keralaElephant
#HumanAnimalConflict

#BreakingNews
Tranquilizer dart has been fired at #Arikomban.

#Arikomban is dazed and immobile after being hit by the tranquilizer dart. The four Kummki elephants tasked to push it out of the forest is slowly approaching Arikomban.

Unprecedented scenes playing out now.
While the Kumki elephants have reached near #Arikomban his 'brother' Chakkakomban is standing guard on the other side.
Both tuskers were part of same herd and are nearly-inseperable. They have been seeing frequently hanging out together.

This is uncharted territory for even the Forest Department as never in the past they had to encounter another elephant/herd while capturing an rogue elephant.

The four Kumki elephants have encircled #arikomban which is still trying to stand and put up a fight. The next move is to push arikomban into the truck.

#Arikomban with five tranquilizer darts and legs tried up is putting up an unbelievable fight and refusing to get on the truck.

One more dose of tranquilizer injected and four Kumkis pushing it, but Arikomban is putting up the fight of it's life.

Finally, after a herculean effort amid a heavy rain #Arikomban is locked inside the truck. Crucially, the team has not been able to tie the GPS radio collar yet.

Despite the promise made by Kerala Forest Minister AK Saseendran earlier in the day that #Arikomban will not be released in Idukki District, all indications are that the 'secret location' is Periyar Tiger Reserve.

#Arikomban being taken to the 'undisclosed location' which will be it's new home.
The convoy has most likely crossed Nedumkandam by now and is on its way to Thekkady.
#Kerala #wildelephant #HumanAnimalConflict

The convoy carrying #Arikomban passing through Nedumkandam town

The route seems pretty clear now.
Pampadumpara - Puliyanmala - Vandanmedu - Kumily - Thekkady.
So in another 2-3 hours Arikomban should be in it's new home.

After an eventful day to say the least, and hours long journey, #Arikomban reached #Kumily to a grand welcome.
Arikomban was later released deep inside the Periyar Tiger Reserve, where chances of #HumanAnimalConflict is less

The Kerala Forest Department team behind Mission #Arikomban.

Unnecessary hype is being created over '#Arikomban being untraceable' as there was no signals from its radio collar for some hours.

The Forest Department on Wednesday informed the #KeralaHighCourt that #Arikomban had a pre-existing reduced vision on its right eye and that it had suffered non-critical injuries on its trunk during the capture and relocation.
#elephant #KeralaElephant

Significantly, the Forest Department and the #KeralaHighCourt-appointed experts who recommended the relocation of #Arikomban have said that the chances of the #elephant 🐘 making it's way back to its original habitat in #Chinnakanal cannot be ruled out.

According to one of the expert committee members, Parambikulam Tiger Reserve in Palakkad district was the ideal and the original location for the relocation of #Arikomban but it had to be changed to Periyar Tiger Reserve in Idukki itself due to protests there.

#BreakingNews
#arikkomban spotted near #Megamalai in Theni district of Tamil Nadu.
This is the first visuals of Arikomban since it was released in #Thekkady.
Since it's translocation #Arikomban has strayed into the Tamil Nadu side a few times.

Not a big deal for a free ranging elephant.

Now #Arikomban has become a headache for Tamil Nadu also. Reports coming from Tamil Nadu say that Arikomban has entered a human settlement and damaged a vehicle of the Forest Department.
#HumanAnimalConflict
#elephant
#elephantattack

#BreakingNews
New video emerges showing #Arikomban charging at a bus in Megamalai, Tami Nadu. Just days after it was translocated to Periyar Tiger Reserve, Arikomban had strayed into Tamil Nadu and has mostly been wandering there, close to human habitats.

For the first time since it's release in Thekkady, #Arikomban has ventured close to a human settlement in #Kerala. Arikomban was seen near Kumily and was chased back into the forest by the Forest Department.

First clear visuals of #Arikomban in Rosapookandam near Kumily, where the elephant came close to a human settlement.
Arikomban seems to have withdrawan into the forest and is currently on the Tamil Nadu side.

day after being chased away from Lower Camp near Kumily, #Arikomban is now well inside Tamil Nadu territory, near #Cumbum.

#Arikomban is in the outskirts of Cumbum town
The next move by Tamil Nadu Forest Dept will be critical.
If Arikomban is chased back to
Cumbummett forest, it will reach Mathikettan, from where it is easy to reach Chinnakanal.
Best hope is that it will cross NH and head to thekkady

Latest visuals on local media shows #arikomban well inside Cumbum town, running across frantically through the street.

Visuals from #Cumbum showing #Arikomban.

#Arikomban in Cumbum town

Arikomban running amok in Cumbum town twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

Every passing day #Arikomban is proving the Kerala High Court and the so-called Arikomban fans that they were wrong.
This #elephant is dangerous and the best way to deal with it was to keep in captivity.
The move to give it a second chance is proving to be a misadventure.

#BreakingNews
Tamil Nadu Chief Wildlife Warden orders to tranquilize rogue tusker #Arikomban which is currently in #Cumbum.
Three kumki elephants from Anamalai elephant camp also being rushed to Cumbum.

This is scary!
#Arikomban just walked over the wall of a temple in #Cumbum.

#Arikomban exiting the temple and chasing people, bikes

One of the many vehicles destroyed by #Arikomban in #Cumbum Tamil Nadu

Announcement being made in #Cumbum urging public to stay indoors as #Arikomban is on the loose in the city.
Meanwhile, Arikomban is said to have taken shelter in a tamarind plantation in Cumbum.